Began his football in the Sevenoaks
League with Knole Juniors FC, before joining Tonbridge Angels FC in July
1967. Bobby Robson's Fulham FC signed him as a full-back in August 1968
for £1,000. But after thirteen league appearances and five goals,
Luton Town AFC then took him for £17,500 in July 1969, moving him to
centre-forward, scoring an astonishing 49 goals in 88 league
appearances. Newcastle United FC signed him for £180,000 in May
1971, and after 187 league appearances and 95 goals, he
returned to London in July 1976 when Arsenal FC paid £333,333 for his
services. Macdonald retired in 1979, because of a knee injury that he
received in a League Cup match against Rotherham United FC in late 1978.
He played in 84 league matches, scoring 42 goals. Despite
an attempt to resurrect his career in Sweden and Djurgårdens IF
(nine league appearances, two goals), he would never recover.

Football League (one appearance), PFA
Division One Team of the Year 1973-74;

Distinctions

When
Macdonald appeared on the BBC TV show Superstars in 1975, he
completed the 100m sprint in an astonishing 10.4 seconds, a time that
would have secured him a place in the Great Britain 4x100m relay team at
the Montreal Olympics

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English
Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990].

Management Career

Club(s)

After retiring from Highbury,
Macdonald rejoined Fulham FC as its Commercial Manager in September 1979,
becoming the club manager in November 1980. He became a director in
November 1981. He left Craven Cottage in April 1984. His next club
was Huddersfield Town AFC, whom he managed for the 1987-88 season.

The
only player to score six successive England goals (the last vs. West
Germany, then all five against Cyprus). The last player to score
five England goals in a match.

Beyond England

After leaving Fulham FC in 1984, he
became a licensee in Worthing. Macdonald descended into alcoholism after
leaving the game, something he blamed on the pain from his long-standing
knee injury. He quit drinking in 1997 after a successful knee operation.
He now holds a chat show 'The Three Legends' on Star Radio, after Real
Radio axed the show in 2012, in the north-east of England. He is also a
regular contributor to the Backpass magazine. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who.
Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.163./Various Media

Malcolm Macdonald - Career Statistics

Squads

Apps

Comp.
Apps

Starts

Sub on

Sub off

Mins.

Goals

Goals
Av.min

Comp.
Goals

Capt.

Disc.

24

14

9

9

5

4

835

6

139
min

5

none

none

Due to the fact that
many matches rarely stuck to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time
for injuries, errors and substitutions. The minutes here
given can only ever be a guideline and cannot therefore be accurate, only
an approximation.